Mandarin:

Mandarins originally came from China , and
are widely grown in the Pacific. The fruits have a dark green colour when
immature and may turn lighter green or yellow to orange when ripe. The
flesh is orange and the fruit is generally slightly
smaller in size than the orange. When mature
or ripe, the fruits have loose skins that come
away from the flesh easily, unlike the orange
. Mandarins
have a distinct, pleasant flavour.
Selection
Mandarins have a short on-tree life, so the season
is short . The best fruits are picked off the tree. They
should not be allowed to drop on the ground when ripe, as this bruises the
fruit. Select fruits that are ripe, firm, not bruised, and without blemishes on
the skin. Bruised fruits tend to develop a bitter taste and they deteriorate
more quickly. For jelly making, mature or under-ripe fruits are best because
they have maximum jelling power .
Storage
Mandarins have a shorter shelf life than the other citrus. Wipe clean before
storage. They are best stored in a cool environment. They may last a week
if stored in the refrigerator. If longer storage is required, juice the fruit and
store frozen.
Preparation
When fruit are to be eaten fresh, wash them well, peel, and remove as much
of the white stringy veins as possible. If using in fruit salads, remove the
thin membrane separating the sections to get rid of the bitterness. To
extract juice squeeze by hand or use a squeezer.
Food value
Mandarins are very good sources of Vitamin C, carotene and dietary fibre.
A normal-sized fruit would also provide approximately 190 kJ or 45 kcal.

Use
Mandarins are best eaten fresh. They make good snacks for both adults and
children. Because of the pleasant flavour, mandarins can also be made into
refreshing drinks, used as an ingredient in fruit salad and other desserts, or
made into jams and preserves.

Lemon Marinade

You will need



• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 clove garlic, cut into small pieces


Method



1. Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix
thoroughly or, if a blender is available,
blend well.
2. Use to marinate meat pieces. Marinate
for several hours before roasting

Lime and Orange Pudding

You will need



• 2 eggs
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• Juice of 1 lime and 1 orange
• 11/2 dessertspoons gelatine
• 1 cup water

Method


1. Beat egg yolks, sugar and juice together.
2. Soften gelatine in a little cold water, and
fill cup to 3/4 full with boiling water.
3. Pour onto egg yolk mixture.
4. Add stiffly beaten egg whites and beat
well before putting into a wet mould.
5. Cool to set. Serve cold.

Food preparation and processing

Traditionally fruits are mainly eaten raw. They should be washed thoroughly
before they are eaten. This ensures that soil, micro-organisms, and
traces of sprays are removed. It is also a good idea to remove the outer skin
from the stem, and the blossom ends, because they are hard to clean
.
Some fruits are used to make puddings for special occasions and when
there is an over-abundant supply. In the Cook Islands, the traditional
preparation and preservation of certain fruits such as bananas are still carried
out, but only on a small scale.
When fruits are in season and there is a surplus, they can be preserved in
sugar and acid (vinegar, lime juice). Although they lose some vitamins,
they add flavour to meals and can last for one or two years if preserved
properly. Green pawpaw (papaya) or lime made into pickles are examples
of this type of preservation. Some fruits, such as pineapple, mangoes,
pawpaw and ripe bananas, can be made into chutneys by boiling them
with vinegar, sugar and spices.
Modern methods of preservation include canning and bottling of fruit,
vacuum-sealing and use of refrigerators and freezers ,
. Small-scale processing of fruits into jams, preserves and glaze is
being developed. Certain fruits, when in season, can be dried using solar
energy or after being treated with chemicals such as sulphur dioxide.
Bananas, mangoes, pawpaws and pineapples can be dried successfully.
Mango and citrus skins can also be made into sweets and candied peels.
Fruits are also used for the production of juice. Citrus fruits, as well as
their leaves, are used to make delicious and refreshing drinks. Recipes for
these are widely available .
Fruit production for export is a commercial activity that some Island governments
in the Pacific are developing. Fruits are exported either fresh or
made into juice. Despite a decline in fruit production
in the last 20 years in the Pacific, fruit juice is still produced in Fiji Islands,
New Caledonia and other islands, mainly for local consumption.

Certain fruits are very useful in food preparation because of their special
properties. For example, papain, an enzyme from pawpaw, is used to tenderise
meat , and citric acid from the juice of citrus fruits
such as lemons and oranges is used for preserving fruits and vegetables.
Acid from citrus juice is used in food processing and basic cooking).
Cooking changes fruit in a number of ways. It loses its crispness and
becomes limp due to loss of water from the plant cells; it becomes more
translucent . The fruit becomes tender as its structure is
broken down by heat.
Dried fruit becomes harder, however, due to the removal of water during
the drying process. Dried fruit may be softened by soaking in water to
hydrate it for use in recipes

USE OF TROPICAL FRUITS

A major food source
In atolls such as the islands of Kiribati and Marshall Islands, the coconut is
regarded as a staple and is one of the most important foods. It is a major
source of energy and other essential nutrients. The flesh and juice of the
green coconut provide a good quantity of Vitamin C as well as a number
of important minerals and vitamins . The energy-rich
sap, known as toddy (kareve in Kiribati and jekaro in the Marshalls), is
extracted from the coconut-flower bud. It is used as a drink while fresh, or
boiled into a molasses-like concentrate 
 and then diluted as drink, or caramelised into a product similar
to toffee  
. Fresh toddy can also be fermented (te manging in Kiribati) and
used as a mild intoxicant and as a leavening agent. Fermented toddy is also
used to marinate raw fish in place of lemon or lime juice.
Medicinal properties
Many tropical fruit trees have medicinal uses. For instance, several organic
compounds present in pawpaw have health benefits 
. Some of these have been identified as very significant
and are useful in the pharmacological industry. These are benzyl glucosinolate,
benzyl isothiocyanate, choline, carpaine, pseudocarpaine
and dehydrocarpaine I and II. Carpaine has been reportedly
used as a relaxant to calm people and cheer those who are
depressed . It can also be used
to kill germs. Pawpaw is also the source of papain, an enzyme
used not only as a food tenderiser, especially for meat, but also
in the cosmetic, leather and drug manufacturing industries.
The tips of the pandanus plant’s roots are widely used in
atolls for treating boils and sores . They also
help to reduce fever, especially in children. In Fiji Islands,
the root tip is used to treat fish poisoning 
. The juice from crushed roots, fried with coconut cream,
T h e F r u i t s W e E a twas a common laxative, and the skin of the ripe fruit is used for urinary tract
problems in the Cook Islands . In Tonga, the tips of the
root, mixed with turmeric and grated coconut, are applied to sores
.
The leaves of the guava tree are an effective cure for diarrhoea 
.
The bark of the Polynesian plum tree (Spondias dulcis) is pounded, and prepared
as a medicine (drink) for treatment of ciguatera fish poisoning in
Vanuatu, especially in the Banks Islands and Emae (Walter, 1992). The
leaves can also be used as a treatment for coughs.
In Kiribati, the mesocarp or white flesh of the coconut is used for treating
infantile diarrhoea, and the male and female flowers of the coconut tree are
used as a cure for gingivitis. , coconut
oil from the kernel is used for rubbing on stiff joints, and for treating
rheumatic pains, limbs after severe strain, and pain in the back or stomach.
Oil mixed with turmeric is supposed to have strengthening and therapeutic
properties for sick new-born infants . The juice
of the red coconut, mixed with the bark of the kavika (Malay apple), wi
, and pandanus root is used to treat fish poisoning
.
Health benefits
The health benefits of fruits in the diet of Pacific Islanders cannot be underestimated
. The role of dietary
fibre and essential nutrients such as Vitamin C, the limited contribution to
energy and the absence of cholesterol make fruits important components
of the Pacific Island diet.
Eating fresh fruits is more beneficial than drinking orange juice or taking
supplements such as vitamin pills. For example, the juice from five oranges
does not provide five times the nutrients of one whole orange ,
. The combined effects of nutrients and other substances in fruits
(some of which are still unidentified) may help in the prevention of diseases
and health problems. The numerous reactions and activities, such as anti-

oxidant effects and the presence of phyto-estrogens, may provide more
clues for other unknown properties of fruits . We still do
not know everything about the nature of fruits and their effects on the
body. Nor do we know the long-term effects of taking vitamin supplements.
These unsolved and unanswered mysteries tend to make one believe
that the best advice is to keep to natural sources of nutrients, hence the saying
‘an apple [or other fruit] a day keeps the doctor away’.
The physiological role of dietary fibre (as in the reduction of cholesterol
levels in the blood, in cancer prevention and in the management of obesity
and diabetes, among others) has put fruits back into the limelight
. The presence of both beta-carotene and dietary fibre make fruits
important preventive health components in the diet. Epidemiological studies
have also found that higher intakes of carotene (fruits are a good
source), may reduce the risks of some cancers .
Traditionally, the variety and amount of fruits consumed provided protection
against certain types of health problems. With the apparent gradual
decrease in the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, Islanders are
now more prone to a host of health problems, some of which might be prevented
if a wider variety of fresh fruits were part of the regular diets.
Promotion of the beneficial effects of fresh fruits as a regular component of
the Pacific Island diet must therefore be a priority for all nutrition education

Lemon/ Lime Pork or Chicken Casserole

You will need
• 500 g pork or chicken pieces
• 60 g lemon/lime
• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4–1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 small piece of ginger


Method

1. Arrange meat pieces in a shallow casserole
dish.
2. Cut lemon/lime into thin slices and
place on top of chicken.
3. Combine flour with water, soy sauce,
sugar, salt and ginger and pour over meat.
4. Replace casserole lid or cover with foil.
5. Bake at 180°C for 1 hour.
6. Serve with rice or staple and colourful
vegetables.

Avocado Soup

You will need



• 1 cup avocado puree
• 1 dessertspoon lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic
• 3/4–teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon chilli sauce
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups milk
or thin coconut cream


Method



1. Prepare avocado puree and
sieve. Mix well with lemon
juice, crushed garlic, salt and
chilli sauce.
2. Stir in stock and milk or
coconut cream.
3. Test for seasoning.
4. Chill and serve very cold.
5. Serve garnished with parsley